Last week, while wandering down the main street of Owen Sound (they have 4 bookstores + 1 mall outlet of Coles), I found a hidden gem.
The front window of the Foto Art Camera Shop, a photography store at 842 2nd Ave E. had a lovely display of vintage photographs of Owen Sound and an intriguing notice about their in-store Camera Museum. My husband and I went inside to have a peek and were amazed at the sheer volume of cameras on a shelf that ringed the store’s perimeter. All types, ages and sizes of cameras sat up there on display. The fun did not stop there. In the back hallway was 4 excellent display cases of old cameras (early 1900s), Polaroid cameras (first instant picture cameras) and vintage camera ads. The museum hall stretched to the back of the building. Outside, almost complete, was a stunning mural of cameras that seemed to be poking out of the brick wall.
According to the store’s owner, Peter Ciokan, there were more cameras in the basement as well as photos and negatives from at least three Owen Sound photographers. Some of the photos are part of a 3-book series published in collaboration with Owen Sound publisher, The Ginger Press. The series is comprised of A Portrait of Owen Sound: The Photographs of J. James, 1905-1955, Owen Sound: The Community View 1866-1957 and the latest, A Photographer’s View of Owen Sound by Gerry McDonald, 1955-1974.
Nary a day goes by without someone bringing in cameras to donate to the museum, Peter told us as he answered our questions about the display. There is not much information about the camera museum on Foto Art’s website (www.fotoart.ca) but they do have a Foto Art Facebook page and a Facebook page devoted to the mural project.
What is so interesting about this museum is that it is a completely private enterprise attached to a business that has been in the family since 1978 when Peter’s parents, Eva and Zen Ciokan, bought it.
At a meeting held over a year ago in Huron County about the need for an archives in the county, over 50 people attended and talked about their collections – most of which were housed in private homes and businesses. There is a great deal of collecting going on in the general population, much of which will come to the attention of families over the next 20 years, who will have to decide what to do with collections amassed over a lifetime.
What will be done depends on the resources available. But for now, it is a real treat to stumble upon these private treasure troves that are being shared with the public, either through public displays or word-of-mouth. Kudos to Foto Art for their fine business and excellent collection. It was a visit that truly made my day.
